Gỏi cuốn is the Vietnamese fresh roll wrapped in softened rice paper.
The translucent wrapper usually encloses shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, lettuce, and herbs such as mint or Vietnamese balm. The ingredients remain visible through the wrapper, giving the roll its familiar fresh appearance. It is commonly served with hoisin-peanut sauce or nước chấm.
The name literally refers to a salad-style roll, reflecting the combination of raw or lightly cooked herbs and vegetables with noodles and protein. Unlike fried spring rolls, gỏi cuốn is served fresh and has no crisp fried shell.
English menus sometimes call gỏi cuốn “summer rolls” or “fresh spring rolls.” Those labels describe the style but are not the Vietnamese name. Filling combinations vary, so shrimp and pork are common rather than mandatory in every regional or vegetarian version.